1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to abrading and polishing tools and, more particularly, to such tools as are useful for refinishing a surface on a bowling ball. More specifically, the present invention relates to a tool assembly for abrading and polishing the outer surface of a bowling bail.
2. Description of the Related Art
The outer surface of a bowling ball is susceptible to wear and scratching during use, as it impacts, initially skids, and then rolls down the lane towards impact with the pins. Such wear tends to be uneven, and the resulting unpredictable and irregular spin, as well as a loss of ‘trueness” while rolling produces inconsistent results and lower scores. Casual bowlers may not even notice, but league bowlers and professionals are more attuned to their games, and will more readily realize the problem. Such an owner is presented with the choice of repairing these surface problems or replacing their old ball with a new bowling ball.
Many owners prefer resurfacing (also known as refreshing) their old bowling ball, due both to cost and as a result of familiarity with their present bowling ball. Commercial-grade refinishing equipment is available; however, many bowlers are reluctant to hand over their bowling balls to operators of questionable skill, and would prefer to abrade and polish their bowling balls themselves. The simplest procedure utilizes sandpaper and polishing cloths placed against a stationary bowling ball, the user moving the sandpaper and cloth over the surface of the ball. Unfortunately, this method usually results in uneven abrading and finishing, increasing the rolling problems of the ball. In addition, the wear discussed above is subtle—at least with respect to the human eye, and it is essentially not possible for someone to hand polish a bowling ball to trueness where the bowling ball is held stationary.
Other simple methods make use of machines that cause the bowling ball to rotate, and the sandpaper and polishing cloths are held against the rotating ball. There are two problems with this approach, the first is similar to the stationary-ball polishing method—uneven hand pressure results in uneven surface wear, which at best doesn't resolve the initial problem, and at worst, makes the ball unusable. A second problem is familiar to users of machine sanders—if the user is not careful, the abrasive is continually applied to the same surface, resulting in unintentional, rapid surface wear that again results in a bowling ball that does not roll true.
There continues to exist a need for a bowling ball surface finisher that is affordable, easy to use, and provides consistent, reliable results towards obtaining a bowling ball having a surface similar to the ‘factory finish.”